The Seattle Fire Code requires building owners to maintain their building's
fire protection systems in good working condition at all times, and to ensure
that these systems are tested on a regular basis. When testing reveals that a system is
impaired, the Seattle Fire Department must be notified.

Testing Fire Protection Systems

Building owners are expected to schedule all required semi-annual, annual and
five-year confidence tests without notification from the Seattle Fire
Department. For more information on tests and testing frequency, see the
Testing Schedule and Information page.

After the system is tested, a status tag or label should be attached by the
technician. More information about tagging is available in
Administrative Rule
09.02.14.

Any time a deficiency impairs the system the responsible party is expected to
have the damaged, failed or defective part repaired or replaced in a timely
manner. Other deficiencies must be scheduled for repair in a timely
manner.

Notifying SFD of Impaired Systems

If a planned or emergency impairment is anticipated to take a system out of
service for more than eight hours, the Seattle Fire Department must be notified.
This notification allows the Department to assess the risks and make any
operational decisions necessary to ensure response-readiness and the safety of
building occupants and firefighters.

For timelines and information on how to notify the Seattle Fire Department of
impairments lasting more than eight hours, please review the
Notification
and Mitigation information page. You may also refer to
Administrative
Rule 09.04.14 or call the Fire Marshal's Office at (206) 386-1450.

Mitigation measures are often required when a fire protection system is
impaired. For more information please review the
Notification
and Mitigation information page.

Termination or
Interruption of Monitoring Services

Termination and other
interruptions of monitoring service are non-critical deficiencies which do
not affect the performance of the fire protection system. Fire protection
systems are intended to detect a fire, activate an alarm, extinguish or
control a fire, control or manage smoke and products of a fire or any
combination thereof. Termination or other interruptions of monitoring
service should not prevent a fire protection system from functioning when
required and as such are not subject to the impairment reporting procedures
outlined in Administrative Rule 9.04.14.

What to Do When There is an Interruption to Monitoring Services

It is the responsibility of
alarm monitoring company to notify the building owner of interruptions.

It is the building owner’s
responsibility to correct the deficiency in a reasonable time period so that
the system can be properly inspected, tested, and maintained.

If you wish to take the
optional step of notifying SFD of interruptions to monitoring services, you
may send email to
SFD_Impairments@seattle.gov.
However, please do not submit a Report of Impaired System.

What to Do When Monitoring Services are Terminated

Termination of monitoring service only applies when monitoring
contracts expire or are canceled.

The recently adopted 2012 Seattle Fire Code requires the
monitoring service provider to notify the fire code official in writing
whenever alarm monitoring services are terminated for fire alarm systems
required to be monitored by the code. Send email to
SFD_Impairments@seattle.gov.
However, please do not submit a Report of Impaired System.

While a fire watch is not required where fire alarm systems
are not monitored by a supervising station, the fire code requires the
building owner to install permanent signs adjacent to each manual fire alarm
box that read: WHEN ALARM SOUNDS—CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT to notify the
occupants of the building to report any fire alarm signals or unwanted fires
to the Seattle Fire Department immediately by calling 9-1-1.

For questions, please call the Engineering Captain
at 386-1449.

Certified Technicians

Only certified technicians are allowed to install, maintain, test and repair
fire protection systems within the City of Seattle. A certified technician
possesses a certificate issued by the Seattle Fire Department.
Certification is obtained by
passing a written test administered by Seattle Fire Department.